Say
by Rui
Summary: Post Manga story. What do you do when you finally grow weariy and tired of how your life has been? Fighting without knowing...


Say

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Author's Note: Oh come on. Every Ranma ½ fanfic author has one! This happens after the failed wedding. This isn't some sappy thing, I hope. But the song "Say You Love Me" is written and performed by Cheri Keaggy, a Christian singer-songwriter. Though the lyrics have been 'adjusted' to fit the story. To get the full lyrics, look it up on google or something. ;) This story has been going through the 'on again-off again' writing process. I would rediscover it every few months, work on it some, then quit. A few months later the same thing would happen. I hope y'all enjoy it! I love the song and I thought of this stubborn couple as soon as I heard it! Love!Disclaimer: If I owned Ranma ½, would I be writing fan fiction? Heck no! I'd be publishing it! But since I am only writing fan fiction I do not own Ranma and knowing how many fans the show has, I wouldn't want the fan mail ;) Reviews for story? Oh yeah!

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It was so easy to not go, to give up on it---on her. It would have been so much easier, but instead he chose to follow, to fight. His own ego becoming a shield to hide his true intentions, his deepest fear, even if it served as a hindrance most of the time, hurting the one he was trying to protect. But she had to notice it in his fighting, how it improved since he had come to her home. 

Ranma closed his eyes and sighed, dropping his head lower between his crossed arms. Behind him, the sun had set long ago, as the martial artist sat on the roof doing something he rarely did. In the recent months, though, it seemed he was doing it more and more. Thinking instead of just acting, listening instead of punching, and going with his feelings rather than the rational. 

Perhaps that was the reason he, in some respect, had another man's blood coating his hands. Sure he didn't really kill the annoying winged 'king' but he could have, would have if the creature didn't reproduce all on it's own. Never, Ranma had pledged, would he use his skills as a weapon of death instead of using his talents as an equalizer for those who couldn't protect themselves. 

But he had forsaken that pledge when he thought she was dead. Did she know what she had made him do? What worries and pains to his conscience she had caused? Did she notice anything he had done? 

While most would marvel at his strength, speed and control; none of that ever seemed to impress her. Not even killing for her. 

_Did you see me, how I did that?  
_

Akane sighed deeply as she fell back on her bed, one arm draped across her stomach, the other over her eyes. Only three days after the failed wedding fiasco, and life had slowly turned back to normal. Of course her "normal" in the past year was more of a mutated version of most people's normal, but normal nonetheless. None of Ranma's fiancées had dared made an appearance in the Tendo house since that day, even Grandfather Happosia knew it was better for his health if he didn't come back for a few weeks. 

But it was now in the past. Slowly drawing her arms to her sides the dark haired teenager then lifted her self up into a sitting position. There was still a lot to be done, a lot to fix, and even more to rebuild. Looking on top of her desk, she quickly made her mind on what to do first. Her bouquet had wilted pathetically from a virgin white to a lifeless brown. 

Reaching out to pick up the lace wrapped flowers-- she stopped. The sun came through her open window, glazing her fingertips with light. Her nails, they were painted a pale pearl color, shined in the light. It was so insignificant to everyone, to Ranma, but not to her. 

All the others, including her fiancé, had believed she was only marrying him to get the cure for his curse. As good as a bait that was, if it had been the only reason, she wouldn't have paid such close attention to details. It had taken Akane close to an hour to get her nails shaped, buffed, and polished to perfection so when Ranma put the ring on her finger, it would be a lady's hand he held and not a tomboy's. 

Cradling one hand in the palm of the other, the youngest Tendo felt a wave of sadness blanket her. Suddenly cleaning up her bedroom didn't seem very important, nor did wearing the mask of indifference. Glancing around her room, her brown eyes stopped on the other survivor from the wedding. Her dress, it miraculously survived the water, the bombs and flying black roses. 

Akane's smile began to creep on her face as she remembered how perfectly it fit, and how Nabiki complained about the finances being tight if she did get that particular dress. Shocked Akane was the lone witness to something that rarely occurred, her sister's 'ice princess' attitude melted. Nabiki had given an authentic smile, shook her head after looking at her sister's delighted expression in the mirror and then told the store clerk to ring it up. 

It was perfect, why didn't anything else go like that? 

_Did you notice I was polished?  
I was perfectly dressed_

It had drained him! 

The fight had taken all of his strength and skills, and even more of his power than he had thought possible. It wasn't easy fighting someone so fast, whom could fly, with nothing but water! Not only the fight but also keeping a close eye on the tiny doll whose life hung in the balance. Making sure he didn't lose her, or accidentally step on her, and trying not to be distracted at how sadly the Akane doll smiled at him as her eyes continued to slowly close. And when they did--- 

Ranma shook his head as if to forget the feeling of despair, and hate that raged in him at the moment of truth. It was in a moment such as that when he realized nothing but her life mattered, and that was why he had chosen to kill. There was no time for thinking, no time for rationalizing, only feeling and acting. 

It was then, soon after, he let his guard down. The shield slipped and everything within him came out. Ranma hadn't been able to voice his newly discovered truths, which were always silently waiting, until he held Akane in his arms. Thinking her dead to the world, feeling his body and heart become numb. She wasn't light in his arms and his arms ached from over use, but Ranma just didn't have the strength to put her down. 

With everything in him he fought for her, become weak and vulnerable for the sake of her, for the sake of not knowing what the future would hold if it wasn't going to hold her. The pigtailed boy never wanted to think about what a life without her would be like; his heart wouldn't last. But as he sat on the roof in the night's chilling air, Ranma let out a tired sigh. He was just---tired. 

_Did the right thing, was a lot of work  
There was no room for rest  
But Oh, I'm tired of striving…  
...Even if I fall from grace_

She should have known Cupid's arrow would shatter the heart before piercing it with love. Of course the troublesome diaper wearing, arrow shooting love maniac like to shoot everyone's heart in Nerima. Hiding real feelings behind his little troublesome dealings, making the real loves hide while the fake ones drove the true loves apart but together all at once. 

Akane kicked at the dummies lined up outside behind the dojo. She always could take her anger out on these straw dummies, because she could always win against them. There were normally four dummies she would pound on. One with a purple shirt and a long brown ponytail, one with a bluish wig and an old pink apron, another with a yellow leotard and black pipe cleaners for hair. The last one was dressed in a red Chinese shirt complete with black pig tailed and a painted on face with the tongue sticking out of its mouth. 

The first three were pretty beat up, straw sticking out of several 'wounds' the dummies received. Their clothes were ripped and worm. The fourth was different. The fourth dummy hadn't been abused for a week. 

The night of the failed wedding, she had searched it out, raised her angry hands---but couldn't bring herself to throw the punch. She just stood in front of the leaning dummy with its goofy expression with her nail polished hand raised and her lower lip trembling. Tears started to form and quickly fell from her eyes, ruining her make-up. 

Even though she felt such anger towards him for so many reasons, Akane just didn't have it in her to fight him anymore. The dummy didn't mock her, but only stood straight and still as the girl sank to her knees that night and cried in the safety of the dojo storeroom. 

Presently, the girl felt the tears sting her eyes again but fought them. First she attacked the brunette dummy, and then the other two quickly fell pray to the confused and emotionally weary girl. 

This was the only time she could fight these girls, even if they were only dummy look a likes, and win. She always wanted to prove to Ranma what she could do if given the chance. Desperate to prove her worth, Akane had touched the metal that dehydrated her to the point of 'dollness'. 

He'd never know how scared she was, but to prove herself worthy enough for his attention, she had been brave. 

Bravery that was rewarded with lies when he denied his confession of love to her on the mountainside. 

_I am smaller, I am weaker  
Still I try to be bold_

Later in the same night Ranma jumped off the roof and decided to practice in the dojo. He was a martial artist first and foremost and he couldn't make up any more excuses to avoid practice. 

After the whole Phoenix fight Ranma hadn't really had the heart or desire to practice the techniques that had taken a life. Yet, there was always a clear and shy voice whispering in the back of his mind he hadn't killed for the purpose of killing but for the purpose that another might live. 

It was what he believed in right? To protect the weak, defend the lowly and show those that were stronger there would always be people who would rise to the occasion when the weak needed them. 

But as he started to do his normal warm up katas, his heart lamely lit the desire. It was nothing like the flames, which licked past his heart, into his eyes—showing the world his never-ending passion for the art. Now? 

Now it was a hallowed act. Drawing the lines and throwing color on the canvas without adding emotions or soul, as he should have but he lacked the passion. When he was younger Ranma could remember the thrill of learning the basics, and as the years went by of having the goal of being as good as his old man. 

After he was cursed, the martial artist strove to surpass his father. Then he came to Nerima. The sleepy town was nothing special, at first glance it was just like the hundreds of others his Pop and he had been through over the years. 

Here he learned everything, and faster because it wasn't for his own benefit he had to learn. Somehow in some round about or direct way it was all for her. For Akane. 

Numerous times threats came smashing down the door and every time he had to meet them head on. Ranma did so to protect her, to be worthy for HER to be GOOD enough for HER. 

His katas picked up in speed as sweat started to blind him. Everything was different now, she'd seen what he could do and was capable of. Did it disgust her to know he would kill? That he HAD killed? 

And the marriage. Was she happy to get out of it? Why couldn't she have another reason besides his cure? After all that had transpired between the two and all around the two, Ranma was sure by now it would show; that either he would know, or she would be able to see. 

But still his empty practice continued. 

_Sometimes moving through the motions  
With a heart that's grown cold_

As the house creaked and popped, settling back into itself after the heat and activity had left from its old frame, Akane lay awake in her bed. The ceiling, painted pale blue with the moonlight, was her only source of entertainment. 

That wasn't completely true, her mind pointed out. Her thoughts throbbed relentlessly as they did every night for the past three days. They seemed to breathe and live with Ranma. Usually when this would happen she'd mutter a few choice comments and go to sleep feeling slightly better about her position. 

It was all changed now. Everything was different. He wasn't the all time inconsiderate perverted jerk she once mocked him with. Ranma had proved to be anything but that when he saved her. Akane's eyebrows knit together, he saved her from her own mistake. Even if it was a mistake that helped him to win in the long run. 

How many times had Ranma, very forcibly, told her not to interfere in his fights? As many times as he said not to was closely related to the number of times she ignored him and tried her best to 'help' him. Akane felt like crying out as she remembered that close to every time her help normally made things worse. 

She wasn't like the other girls who ran after him unashamedly, no, she was different. They knew how to help, were strong and able to do things Akane was never taught how to. She was the only who always needed saving. 

Akane sat up in her bed, bringing her knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around the top of them. Her heart withered like her bouquet as she felt so helpless, like nothing more than a burden to her fiancé. 

He must really be disgusted with her. So let down to be engaged to someone who hardly ever got something right. At least things that mattered to him. 

_Never mean to disappoint you_

Punch. Kick. Kick higher. Kick stronger, roundabout with another punch. 

Sweat was flowing freely from his body as Ranma relentlessly went through each motion he knew. Anything to keep his mind off of were it always seemed to be. On her. On being better for her. 

The other guys had so much to offer her. Ryouga was open with his feelings and if he ever got over his shyness, Ranma didn't doubt Akane's smile would turn towards the pig-boy, Kuno was rich, and every other 'suitor' also had many things pulling for them. What did Ranma have? 

He had his skills. 

The skills that were, almost daily, tested and tried by the suitors who deemed him "unworthy" of their beloved Akane. The skills which were his only claim to fame in the town and with her. The others were good, but as long as he was always better, he'd have that to offer. 

But the day almost came when it wasn't enough. When all his striving wasn't enough to impress her and more importantly to save her from an enemy. 

He stopped in mid stride, never losing his balance. The wave of emotion hit him again, almost leaving him breathless. He was so tired of it all. 

Tired of trying to obtain the impossible goal. 

Tired of trying to be everything for her to give him the time of day. 

Ranma was just tired. 

_But my strength's getting old  
Oh, Lord, I'm tired of striving_

Akane breathed a sigh of relief as she successfully left the house. At first thought, the girl was only going to go and sit in the backyard, but after considering it, a more appealing idea came to her. It was close to one in the morning and she was far from tired. More or less the restlessness of the week was still enough the chase away sleep and drape her mind in heavy thoughts. 

She was careful to navigate from her room to the front door without stepping on any of the creaking steps or wood planks. The house was old, but most of the windows, doors, and floors where all relatively new due to the madness that ensued after a certain pigtailed martial artist appeared in her life. 

Shaking her head wearily, the girl stretched out her memories to think of some OTHER time besides when Ranma was around. 

But everything before him was sad and monotone. Her mother's death and memory hung around the house like the dust on the walls. Sometimes it was gloomy, other times bright and happy. If it wasn't her mother, it was a friend she was missing. 

The girls at school were okay, and even her sisters were great but none of them came close to what she always wanted, a close friend. That's why it thrilled her to see Ranma was a girl at first, she hooked her hopes on a best friend on this one girl who turned out to be a boy. 

She smiled at the memory of the way she acted towards him. Yes, she was more than scared to see a guy in the bath room, but it was later that she would resent him for taking away her dream of a friend. Yet, he proved to be everything she wanted. 

More than she wanted, but everything she ever needed. Akane didn't know what she'd do if he didn't return one time, or if he called her from Ukyo or Shampoo's to say he was never coming home. And that is what he called the dojo, right? His HOME. That had to mean something then. 

It meant something to her when he said it was his 'home'. She loved it when he referred to the dojo as HIS home. 

Akane felt a shiver as her thoughts ran along, drifting from one place to the next shyly forming the words. 

Akane just loved Ranma. 

Now she felt her stomach lurch, in happiness or in despair, she would never be sure. But there it was, in her mind bouncing off her skull seeking for a crack to slip out of and make its way down to Akane's throat. 

She could never tell him! He'd just be arrogant about it, probably treat her feelings like the other girls. 

Even though...he'd done everything for her imaginable. Akane was always pleased with it, but she didn't care about the bonuses. She just wanted him to be him. 

_Say you love me anyway  
Say you love me just because   
And I'll not deny your sacrifice  
As if it weren't enough_

Ranma yawned as he easily jumped over the fence blocking the street from the dojo's backyard. There wasn't any use trying to go through the motions without a heart for the art. Tonight he'd take a break, walk around and try to clear his thoughts. 

But as Ranma's infamous bad luck was, the thing he wanted to lead him away from, lead right to her. The black haired boy came nose to nose with his surprised fiancee. 

"Ranma," the boy's name came squeaked out a few seconds after he was able to back a step or two away. "W-what are you doing up?" 

The first time alone since the reckless wedding, their first time to talk one on one, and this is what she wanted to know? Ranma felt frustrated. He sighed and had half a mind to turn and walk away—but he couldn't. Ranma could never walk away willingly from her without a good cause and his reluctance over his personal discoveries and downfalls was not a good reason. 

If they were ever suppose to be together, she'd have to accept his stubborn short comings. 

If she ever wanted them to be together. 

_Say you love me anyway  
Even if I never change_

"I, uh, was just about to practice." Ranma stuttered out nervously. He scratched the back of his head, the base of his pigtail to be precise and looked down at the small pebbles by his feet. 

Akane examined the young man in front of her carefully. If he was going to practice, why was he headed in the opposite direction of the dojo? The question banged against her teeth until she considered his already nervously shy way. 

"Oh." There, that answer was safe. Akane wanted to desperately roll her eyes and scream about what an idiot she sounded like at that moment. "Well, I'm going to just take a walk around the block or something." 

Unexpectedly, Ranma's head snapped up. Their eyes locked and Akane's face turned pink. Again the desire to berate herself for feeling this way around him came on strong. It was just Ranma. What was wrong with her? 

_I love Ranma._ The words of just a few minutes ago resurfaced. Akane's face deepened to a red hue as she averted her gaze away from the blue eyed boy. That's why she was acting so strangely. She didn't know how to act now. She'd finally come clean about it to herself. Then why did she feel so depressed? 

"You're going to walk around at this hour?" Ranma's voice was colored with concern. 

Akane, usually annoyed by such a subtle way of saying she wasn't well taught on how to defend herself, only smiled. "Yeah. It's a nice night and I just can't sleep." 

_Say you will  
Say you still  
Say you love me for who I am_

Ranma watched as she smiled and turned away from him to start her walk around the dojo. Worry ate at the edge of his mind as concern invested his heart to the point of sickness. Didn't she know how easy it was for all the dishonorable people to get her right now? Akane, it seemed, had a label of 'victim' scrawled across her small frame. 

If he ran after her now, what would he say if he caught up with her? Would he actually force her to talk about what was really bothering them both? Or would he just stick his foot in his mouth and have her huffing away with her mallet slung over her shoulder. 

It would make things feel like normal at least. But, Ranma thoughts rebelled, he really didn't want things 'back to normal'. It was tiring being 'normal' and 'set in their ways'. It sometimes took all his strength just to get out of bed in the morning because he knew what was coming. 

The fighting, the bickering and the constant challenges for who was to marry who. It had seemed to be fun at first but now? Now he just wished for peace and a normal life. The first step was always the hardest, but Ranma gulped down his fear and ran after the girl. 

Akane hadn't gotten fair and no one in the few minutes since they departed had decided to kidnap her. Ranma would have laughed at the notion if he didn't know personally how many times something like that had really happened. 

"Akane, wait." 

She turned, obviously surprised that he had come and did as he requested. "What is it, Ranma?" 

"I--" He started, then kicked his trembling tongue for being spineless yet again. Sighing, he scratched the base of his pigtail as he looked down at his feet. Battling himself back into courage, he looked at her steadily. "I was just wondering if I could walk with you? Maybe---talk." 

Akane blinked at him in surprise. Oh, how he wished to be able to read her mind at this moment. But she simply nodded slowly and switched to the direction she had been traveling earlier. 

They walked in silence for a few moments, Ranma didn't know how to start off the topic without jamming his foot in his mouth to his hip. 

"Well?" Akane prompted. "I thought you wanted to talk." 

At least she was smart enough to know how to communicate well enough to get the ball rolling. He nodded and they walked further than the block around the dojo, Akane had allowed him more time by taking a new route. 

Every time Ranma went to say something, it didn't seem right and he'd snap his mouth shut once more. After a frustrating ten minutes, Ranma threw caution, and safety, to the wind. "'kane, I just wanted to---apologize, sorta." 

"For what?" Akane glanced at him, one slender blue eyebrow raised. 

"For what?" Ranma echoed, astonished. "For the wed--," the word choked him up once again. "For the wedding." 

"Oh." She faced away from him and continued to walk back in silence. 

Now he was confused more than ever. "'Oh'? Is that all you can say?" Ranma felt the warmth of a fight on the horizon before she even stopped walking. He remained, like a statue, under the light post, refusing to move. "Come on, 'kane. You have to have something else to say about it. You _always_ have something to say." 

Akane paused a few feet in front of him. "Are you sorry that it happened?" For some reason, Ranma noticed, she was very interested in her nails or something on her hands. "Because, truthfully, I'm not. I did it because I wanted to do it and because I know how much you wanted your cure." 

The world stopped turning and ice water flushed through the martial artist's veins. Akane, as simple as talking about the weather, had admitted to _wanting_ to be with him? By all the accounts, Ranma knew he should be thrilled and sighing in relief. Instead, he found demons of worth and doubt creeping into his mind. 

Unnerved by his silence the short blue haired girl began to walk away again. 

Desperately, the pig tailed boy, per usual, said the first thing that came to his mind. "What if I'm never cured?" Ranma's voice came out in a whisper and weak. He felt like kicking himself for sounding like a shy kid. His shoed feet became very interesting for a moment before he dared to look up at her. Akane had turned to stare at him with an unfamiliar look upon her face. "Will you still---- want me then?" 

_Say you love me for who I'll become…_

Akane had been startled by this whole affair, but the climax had to be in his softly spoken question. Ranma had left behind his pride for a moment, and stood there in front of her opened for anything she was going to give. It was up to her to see how she was going to use it. 

His greatest fear brought to light. Not being able to find a cure for his girl half and not being accepted because he was, in a word, a 'freak'. Akane never knew any other Ranma but the one before her. The boy who turned girl on the outside, but stayed purely male as exampled multiple times by his lack of female modesty. 

Her feet felt like they were stone, unable to move, unable to go to him. 

She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "You're the only you I've ever known." His eyes softened slightly as her smile became more confident. "If you're never cured or if you are, I will still----" she swallowed hard. "Want you." 

The complete look of hope that washed over his face, left her breathless. For once, she hadn't made a overall klutz out of herself. For the first time since their hectic would-be wedding, Ranma honestly smiled. It seemed as if some colossal weight had lifted from his shoulders and the world wasn't depending on him to spin anymore. 

"That's, uh, thanks, 'kane." 

Her face went a light pink, "You don't thank someone for saying something like that Ranma." She shifted form one foot to another. "It's not like I did you a favor." 

Ranma blinked for a few moments in surprise and then felt his mind accept her words as pleasant instead of hostile. 

_Can you see me in the distance…_

Akane was a little more than shocked at Ranma's sudden question. She chalked up her quick and sure answer to tiredness and sleeplessness. The boy lightly smiling back at her must have enjoyed the answer. 

Since he asked a touchy and precarious question, it would only be right to make him answer one as well, wouldn't it? But which one? And what would happen if the answer she wanted wasn't the one he gave? 

Nervously she started to examine her nails as the words tried to tie themselves together in a coherent thought and failing miserably. Before her words could connect and make sense, Ranma's voice caught her attention. 

"Wh-what did you say?" Akane's eyes were wide with amazement. Had he really noticed or was her tired and stressed out mind playing tricks on her yet again? 

"I, uhm, said your nails look nice." Ranma's face turned a light pink. "You don't usually do that and I just thought it looked nice." 

On an impulse that came from somewhere deep in her heart, Akane quickly jumped forward, placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him down into a kiss. It wasn't anything long and passionate, but it was something. A split second after realizing what it was she was doing, Akane quickly backed off, her face hot and crimson. 

"I--I'm sorry, Ranma." She felt her face burn hotter and briefly wondered how it was possible. Akane's mind wheeled, trying to make it grasp onto a good excuse as to why she just acted like Shampoo. Although he never came out and said it, the youngest Tendo always figured that the reason that Ranma was so push-away with the other girls was because he didn't feel in control of their relationship. Ranma was trying to do anything to prove he was a 'man amongst men' and having the girls wear the pants in any relationship made him feel less like a 'man'. 

She swallowed hard, the burn in her eyes gave a warning that tears would probably start to flow soon. Akane would have kicked herself as hard as possible if she had found the will to move. Her body wouldn't obey anything she was trying to get it to do. It wouldn't run, wouldn't allow her to look him in the eye or anything. Akane stayed right where she was, head bowed and staring at her useless feet. 

It wasn't her fault! He had seen her nails! Had noticed her to a certain detail! The nails she had done just for him and he noticed. Ranma had finally noticed her and what did she do? Take advantage of him. A voice in the back of her mind growled and spat angrily about how wrong it was for her to even assume to do anything like that. 

Ranma was just being nice and probably Kasumi had something to do with him acting this way. 

Akane's mind froze. 

"Wow." __

I am stunning

Ranma felt his face go flush, but the euphoria in his mind was radioactive. Akane, tomboy anti-boy Akane, had just kissed him willingly. All he did was point something obvious and she kissed him! His reaction was shock, but his mouth managed to form a word. 

"Wow." He repeated, a slight smile tracing his lips. The blue haired girl glanced up quickly, confusion in her chocolate eyes. He couldn't get his brain in gear, or perhaps it was and he just couldn't get over the fact that Akane had kissed him. She stared at him for a moment or two, just as lost as he much as he seemed be. 

"Huh?" 

The side of his mouth twitched as the smile began to grow. "I said 'wow'." 

Akane blinked in disbelief and then, she did the second to last thing Ranma thought she would. She began to laugh. At first the boy thought she had snapped because of the stress of the past month or so. Could be the whole year, he thought begrudgingly. 

Saotoma watched her laugh for more then a good solid minute. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth as she tried to get her laughter under control. Another moment slipped by and Akane had beaten down the laughing to a gentle giggle with only short bursts of blaring laughter. 

"A-Akane? Are you all right?" It took only one quick peek at him through a slit in her closed eyelids to have her in a chuckling fit again. "'kane?" 

She grabbed his upper arms in an attempt to keep herself balanced. Her eyes leaked tears as she shook her head and smiled up at him. "Everything is fine, Ranma." 

"Are you sure? I mean you usually aren't--" 

A genuine smile traced her lips. "Everything is, for once, all right." She let him go, wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and looked up at him again. "Don't you see?" 

He raised a black eyebrow at the girl. Females were defiantly a strange creation. "Not really, no." 

She bit her lip and turned on her heel. "Everything is just fine, Ranma." 

He sighed, rolled his eyes and followed her back in the direction to the dojo gate. _I am brilliant_

Akane couldn't believe the relief that had washed over her with just one little word made her whole word seem brighter. He didn't freak out, didn't run away and he didn't act disgusted. Ranma had been blown away by her, by her. 

Shampoo tried and couldn't do it. Ukyo tried and failed. Kodachi never had a chance. Akane had done it. She acted just like them, but she hadn't been like them. She hadn't reacted like them. 

Ranma didn't push her away and he actually said 'wow'. WOW! 

"Everything is beyond fine." She said softly, smiling to herself. The late hour and the stress might have been the euphoria's cause but she decided to be a romantic girl and float on the knowledge that he might actually be sure about her. He might actually like her for her! If he wanted anyone else for any physical touch, he could have had it. Ranma didn't want that or at least didn't want it from the others. 

"Are you sure your okay, 'kane? I've don't remember you acting like this before." 

Akane turned and smiled. There was no way she could tell him. There was no way he could understand what it was like to have so much stress just vanish at one word. As Ranma stood underneath the street light, an eyebrow raised and a hand tugging at the base of his pigtail, she couldn't help but feel the swell in her heart. 

There was so much she could have said, but decided not to. Why push something that was happy enough at the moment? 

Ranma's face tinted pink. Akane darted her eyes away, realizing she had been staring. "I guess we should go in," she pointed out half-heartedly. 

"Yeah, before someone notices and--well, yeah, we should go in." 

_And ruins it_, Akane filled in with yet another smile. 

Before they went in for the night, Ranma tightened his hand gently around Akane's. Reminding them both that it was real, this uninterrupted moment was real. And though the life they lived would come battering into their happy place. Cruel reality would rip this moment apart had it not been sleeping. 

There had been one moment when the future was clear and thought it was only one moment, Akane felt sure for once that this was only a promise of more to come. And the best thing of all, for both of them, was that there would be more moments alone, together. __

I look something like you. 


End file.
